Daily Reading: February 8th

Joh 2:18-25 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” (19) Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (20) The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” (21) But he was speaking about the temple of his body. (22) When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. (23) Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. (24) But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people (25) and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

We might want to focus on Jesus overturning money changers tables and driving out livestock from the area of prayer for the Gentiles but that is not as important as these verses here. Here Jesus is predicting his death and resurrection. These words would be used against him at his trial before the Jewish council.

We might note that the disciples came to understand these words after his resurrection and not before. Indeed before Pentecost they never fully grasped the full meaning of Jesus’ teachings though they do so some signs of understanding at times. But it was after his resurrection and after Pentecost “they believed the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.” You see without the Holy Spirit the Scriptures are a closed book. You might get some intellectual meaning of the Bible but you will never fully understand its meaning or believe what it says without the Holy Spirit.

Some of the Jews also began to believe in the power of Jesus’ name as they saw the signs he was doing. These signs Jesus performed in the gospels are there too for you that you might believe at least in his name.

Yet even these who would believe in him at the moment Jesus did not entrust himself. Why? Because Jesus knew people and what is in people. What might that be? Sin. Jesus testifies himself, Mar 7:21-23 “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, (22) coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. (23) All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Not very flattering of us.

But that is us before we come to faith. When our faith and trust is in Jesus and even in his name we have the Holy Spirit that does bear witness and confess Jesus as the messiah, the Son of God. While Jesus does not need our witness, our neighbor does. So we confess by the Spirit, Jesus as Savior to them and the Spirit uses that message to bring our to faith and being possessed by the Spirit of God also.

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for giving us your Spirit that we might believe in your Name. Help us ever to bear witness of your Name to our neighbor that they too may believe. Amen.